Olympian Joe Clarke 'buzzing' after silver medal

Joe Clarke won an Olympic silver medal in the men's kayak cross

Olympic canoeist Joe Clarke said he hoped he did his hometown proud after winning a silver medal at Paris 2024.

Team GB’s Clarke, from Stone, Staffordshire, came second in the men’s kayak cross event on Monday, behind New Zealand’s Finn Butcher.

Speaking to BBC Radio Stoke, the 31-year-old said he was “absolutely buzzing” and described it as a “huge day”, despite the disappointment of not repeating his gold medal success in Rio 2016.

“I had to settle for silver in the end but I like to think I did the region proud and the Potteries proud,” he said.

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Clarke’s love for Stone and Staffordshire was on proud display during the Olympics, with his helmet featuring the pot banks of Stoke-on-Trent and the Staffordshire knot.

He praised the people of the county for their “phenomenal” support and spoke of how their messages fired him up on race days.

“I feel like I’ve got one up on everybody else because I’ve got my region in the UK behind me,” he added.

Joe Clarke said he was proud to be from his hometown of Stone

Clarke was the second canoeist from Stone to win a silver medal in Paris after Adam Burgess came second in the men’s canoe slalom event on 29 July.

Both were trained at the Stafford and Stone Canoe Club, which Clarke described as a “powerhouse”.

He said he hoped their success would spark a surge of interest in the sport.

“Hopefully we can start getting more bums in boats and start getting more future medal winners in boats,” he said.

Asked what his plans were following the Olympics, he said a couple of drinks were “on the agenda” as well as some time with his family.